Cold as Ice
by Isyys
Summary: Collection of stories centered around Weiss and her struggles to find out what kind of person she really is. R/W fluff, although romance does not always take the center stage. Small mentions of B/Y, but this is not the bumblebee you are looking for. Be aware that the selected genres are the vague overarching themes instead of directly related to the content of the chapters.
1. Chapter 1

Cold as Ice

Another fic. Pretty different from what I've posted so far. Starting to get in to this writing thing.

Anyway, couple things I should mention. One, Blake uses a form of the word "fiend." Giving credit to VnixxiR for that one. It just fits her so well. Two, this may become what I use as my "base" for fic ideas, as in I will add them on as extra chapters to this instead of posting something entirely new each time. It'll probably depend on how much deviation there is between the ideas and concepts of each chapter. I'll keep it marked as "in progress" just in case.

Enough about that, here's the fic. Not quite sure what to classify it as. Weiss/Blake friendship, Ruby/Weiss fluff I guess.

* * *

A fire crackled, casting a gloomy light over a small lounge. A girl with a jet-black bow set atop raven hair lay curled up on a couch, her face buried in a tattered old book. The room was quiet and still, aside from the occasional crackle and pop of the dancing flames. It was the girl's favorite situation, and she savored it all she could since moments like these were so few and far between. She enjoyed the people she shared the house with, but they were always so loud, even more so now with the red and white one's recent arguments. How they had ever ended up as a couple was beyond her, but she supposed that it was simply due to how much could have happened since they all first arrived here a year ago.

The front door swung open, blasting her with cold winter air and breaking her reverie. A figure wrapped in an overly expensive white overcoat entered, slamming the door behind her.

"Speak of the devil…." Blake muttered, annoyed that her peaceful atmosphere had once again been shattered. There was no doubt that Weiss was in a huff due to some inane action Ruby had done, and Blake knew she was about to get an earful about it.

"Childish. Immature. Pointless." Weiss said, speaking more to herself than Blake. "How dare she. So crude." Blake sighed, alerting Weiss to her presence and immediately regretting it. "You! How can you let her continue with such acts?"

Blake stayed silent, knowing from experience that it was often best to just let Weiss vent. She wasn't always like this; Weiss was actually pleasant to be around most days, but during her outbursts she fit the typical rich-girl persona almost too well. This subjected her to a lot of teasing by Yang, but Blake preferred to stay out of it. Though Weiss rarely spoke of it, Blake had guessed enough about her life before she came to Beacon to know that she was more scared than anything. Blake had a nagging suspicion that Weiss wasn't allowed to have friends growing up, which would explain her general lack of sociability, but also how devoted she was to her team.

After listening to Weiss pace in front of the couch and continue to rant for another minute, Blake got curious. "So, what fiendish acts has she dared to commit this time?" she asked, the slight tone of sarcasm in her voice betraying her.

Weiss glared at her. "She tried to hold my hand! In public! Doesn't she have any idea of what could happen if someone saw us? The shame!"

Blake strained to keep from rolling her eyes. It was actually kind of cute; she knew that Weiss would do anything for Ruby, except admit that she was willing to. But there was some truth to what she was saying, if Weiss' parents found out that she was doing anything that wasn't furthering her future career, she would be gone by morning. Blake found the situation a little sad, but she didn't think it entitled Weiss to act like she does.

"Don't you think that's a little unfair?" Blake asked calmly.

"What? Of course not! She knows…"

"Oh, come on, Weiss," Blake interrupted "she was just trying to show you that she cares. Maybe you're the immature one, you throw a fit every time something like this happens, and it breaks her heart. God knows what she sees in you, but the poor girl loves you, and you know that you love her too."

Weiss scowled, but did not retort. Blake gave her a few moments to let her message sink in. Weiss had her arms crossed so hard that she was shaking, and her scowl only grew wider when the first tear slid down her cheek. She sat down on the opposite side of the couch, and Blake could see that she was angrily trying to fight back the tears, but it was a losing battle. Blake let her be, knowing she would reject any attempts at comforting her. Not wanting to appear apathetic, she sat in respectful silence, watching over the pitiful sight of her friend. Weiss' tears were flowing freely now, and she curled her knees up to her chest and hugged them, burying her face inbetween.

Blake had never seen Weiss in this state before, and she doubted anyone other than maybe Ruby had. In quite the contrast to Ruby, Weiss was not one for wearing her emotions on her sleeve, but Blake thought it was good for her to finally let out whatever she had pent up. For all the flak she got for being the "Ice Queen," she really was just a scared little girl who didn't know how to show how much she cared for her friends.

Several minutes passed before Weiss' sobs began to subside, letting to room return to its previous state of calm. However, it did not last as the door opened once more and freezing air clawed its way inside, causing both girls to shiver. They both glanced at the culprit, and Weiss did a double take.

Ruby was clutching her cloak, keeping it tightly wrapped around her as she shivered, quickly closing the door behind her before turning to face the room. Blake could see glistening tear tracks frozen on her rosy cheeks, with fresh ones still emanating from her red and puffy eyes.

Weiss shot up from the couch, and Blake feared that she was going to start scolding her again. However, Weiss just stood there with her mouth open, any attempt at forming words being caught in her throat. Ruby remained where she was, and Blake couldn't tell if she was frozen from fear or defiance. The tension hung in the air until Weiss found her voice.

"Ruby." She said softly, almost a whisper. Before anyone had time to react, she closed the distance between them and flung her arms over Ruby's shoulders, hugging her tightly. "I'm sorry. I am so, so sorry. Don't ever let me act like that again." Weiss murmured, making no effort to stop herself from crying. Ruby hugged her back, looking surprised. She looked at Blake questioningly, and all she got as an answer was a small smile.

Knowing it was time to take her leave, Blake silently snuck out of the room, leaving Ruby to care for the girl she loved.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

A/N: Here it is, 12 days after I had the original idea. Not as much relationship-fluff this time around, but it's still there. Written (kind of) from Yang's POV, but not entirely. I went a little crazy with the italics, but I wanted some way to put emphasis on certain words.

* * *

Winter in all its harshness was finally over, and spring was in full bloom. Yang lay stretched out on the couch, enjoying a cool breeze as it wafted through an open window. The end of their second year at Beacon was coming to a close, and life could not be better. Ruby was growing into a fine young woman, and Yang was prouder than ever. She loved being Ruby's big sister, but it was refreshing to not have to constantly look out for her, and she trusted Weiss and Blake enough to cover for her when she wasn't around. Thankfully, Weiss had finally cleaned up her act, so Yang didn't have to keep as watchful an eye as she used to when Ruby first started dating her.

Weiss had really been growing on Yang since she defrosted, probably because she reminded her a little of herself. She was fiercely protective of her friends, especially so for Ruby, and was absolutely immovable when they were threatened with harm. She still had her icy moments, but they had become so rare and were much lower intensity than they once were that they were a non-factor. There was a time when Yang would have refused to let Weiss date Ruby, but seeing them together now made Yang think that she wouldn't have been able to pick anyone better for Ruby herself.

_BANG_

Yang leapt to her feet, startled by the noise. She swiveled to face the front door, and standing in the frame was a tall man, one of his hands still on the door. Yang immediately noticed that he had ice-blue eyes, and it confirmed what the four of them had always feared. Weiss had warned them that there was only one reason her father would ever come here: to collect.

"What the hell are you doing?" Yang shouted.

"Where is she?" he shouted back, his face red with fury.

"Could you be a little more specific?" Yang knew exactly who he was talking about, but she'd sooner jump off a cliff than let this man barge into her home and demand to hand over her friend. Luckily, Weiss had gone out with Ruby earlier, but Yang had no idea when they would be back. All she could do was hope that it wasn't anytime soon.

"Yang, what's going…." Blake ran into the room, but figured out the answer to her question before she even finished the sentence. She stopped dead, her fists clenched and eyes narrowed.

"Where is she?!" Weiss' father screamed again, stepping forward into the house. Blake and Yang both moved to block him, but Blake got there first. Standing right in front of him, Blake stared at him with a cold fury, unlike anything Yang had seen before. Blake's normal display of anger consisted of frowning for a few seconds before she got over it. This was completely different; it was as if Weiss' father had just forced Blake to watch him drown a bag of kittens. "Get out of my way, animal!" he said through clenched teeth. Blake looked taken aback for a fraction of a second, but didn't budge. "Yes, I know all about you and your _impurity_." he continued "Maybe some of your relatives are working in my mines, such dangerous work. Wouldn't want a cave to _accidentally_ collapse on them." Blake's nostrils flared, and she fought the urge to draw her weapon and cut him down. Not for the threat on the relatives she didn't even know if she had, but for every injustice that this man had ever dealt to her kind on his way to the top of the business world, and still does today.

The clunking and scraping of shifting metal distracted them both, and they looked to the source of the sound. Yang's gauntlets were fully deployed, and her eyes burned like the sun.

"You think you can come in here," Yang took a step forward, "steal my friend," another step, "threaten my _girlfriend_," _stomp_, "and get away with it?!" she finished, voice low and deadly.

Weiss' father leaned in until he and Yang were face-to-face, glaring at her. "Yes." he said, matching her tone.

Yang smirked. Her right arm bent back, preparing to give her fist a full-force introduction to his face. Her mouth opened in a yell, but before a sound could escape her throat, Blake grabbed her arm.

"Not smart." was all Blake said to explain herself. Yang still struggled to ram her fist into the man's face, but she ultimately allowed Blake to hold her back.

"Yes, listen to your pet, girl. Touch me and you'll never see the light of day again." said Weiss' father, sneering. Blake let out a cold laugh, and loosened her grip on Yang, tightening it again after Yang's arm shot forward, stopping an inch from his nose.

"Yang's not really one for caring about consequences." Blake said, smiling. A look of wariness flashed across Weiss' father's face; looking straight down the barrel of Yang's gauntlet would intimidate anyone. However, Yang had lost focus, she had spotted something that made her heart sink and body go slack. Two familiar figures were walking up behind Weiss' father, and she hoped that they would realize what was going on and run, but they didn't.

"Father!" Weiss exclaimed, mixed with surprise and apprehension. She knew better than anyone what his presence here meant. He was going to drag her back to the family estate, rage and storm at her about how he _knew_ he should have never allowed her to attend Beacon, and then she would be forgotten again as soon as he left the room. No doubt he would block any attempts at contacting her friends, and she would be left with only her memories of them. Once more she would be subjected to the worst insult a parent could give their child: to be ignored. There was one thing she wasn't sure of, however: _why_ was he here? What had she done to incur his wrath?

Weiss curtsied, her movements automatic and mechanical. She had always been instructed to do so while in his presence back when she lived with him, and old habits die hard. Her body shook the entire time, as if she was straining against her muscle's movements, daring herself to deny him the courtesy that he implemented and demanded of her. It was a symbol to how she had been trained to be nothing more than a pawn under him, and how even in her escape he still held power over her.

"You still remember your place. Good." Weiss' father said, sneering.

"Father, what are you doing here?" Her question was simple, but whatever had happened that required her to ask it was what worried her. It could not be her academic performance; she was the highest ranked student in her class. However, the same could not be said for the team as a whole. Ruby and Yang were great and all, but they were hardly star students. Blake had once been highly ranked, but she had dropped off ever since she had started spending more time with Yang. Their lackluster academic performance more than offset their exceptional field work, and the result left team RWBY with an average ranking at best. However, she knew that her teammates' scores wouldn't be of any concern to him, so it must be something else.

"You remember our deal," he sneered, "perfect performance, and…"

"But father, I _do_ have perfect…"

"Do not interrupt me, girl!" he shouted, silencing her immediately. "Perfect performance, and _no distractions._"

Weiss had no idea what he was talking about. No distractions? What did he mean by….

It hit her. _No, that's impossible. I've been so careful…_ _there's no way he could know!_ But she knew it was what she feared. How stupid could she be, of course he would have people watching her, and all it would take is one small slip-up for her secret to be out. She felt Ruby freeze behind her, and knew that she was thinking the same thing. He knew about _her_. The way he was looking at Ruby with pure malice told Weiss everything she needed to know, and it terrified her. But alongside that feeling, she could feel something else growing, something… _fiery_.

"Father, please, I can explain!" she pleaded, desperate.

"Explain? Explain just _what_, exactly? How you are running around with some filthy little orphan girl? You think I wouldn't notice that my heir not only has a secret lover, but that it's a _gay_ lover? And what of the others you associate with? Living with this…_subhuman_, and _her_," he said, gesturing to Yang "this… this _gutter slut_."

Yang and Blake held back and said nothing; they knew that this wasn't their fight anymore, but at the same time they knew Weiss wouldn't need their help. She wasn't an uptight little princess anymore. As time went on she had become more and more rebellious toward her upbringing, and her loyalty to her team grew to be unquestionable. Yang guessed that the only reason Weiss had not lashed out at their attacker yet was because it was her father, and that old fears still lingered. She had never seen Weiss take this much crap from anyone before, especially when faced with insults to her friends.

"Father, those are my friends you are referring to. I would prefer that you address them as such." There was an edge to Weiss' voice that Yang recognized, and it was beauty to her ears. That tone of voice was Weiss' back-the-fuck-off-while-you-still-can voice, and Yang was all too familiar with the maelstrom that could follow it if the advice was not heeded.

"Friends? What use do you have for _friends_?" Weiss' father replied in a mocking tone. "These people serve only to slow you down and distract you from what you are supposed to be: _my heir_. Do you have any idea how many would kill to be in your position? You have no need for _friends_ where you're going."

"And just where _am_ I going, exactly? To the head of the company, so I can be paid under the table to turn the other way while your business partners supply the local crime lords? Not to mention how they abuse, maim, and _kill_ the fauna they use as slave labor. No, father, I need my friends so I can _avoid_ what you have planned for me. They appreciate and love me, they have my back every time I need them, and I have theirs. All those things that _you_ never showed me! They've been a better family to me in two years than you ever were in seventeen!"

"That is enough out of you, girl! You are coming back with me! I hope you're happy with that you've just said, because if I ever hear another word of complaint out of you, you'll be thrown in the mines with the rest of the mongrels!"

"Go to hell. I'm not leaving this spot." Weiss folded her arms, staring daggers at her father. It was damned impressive to see, Yang was so proud to see her standing up to him, but she knew that Weiss must still be terrified. She was taking a massive gamble, and if her father really wanted to make her leave she would be powerless to stop it.

"Then I guess we're doing this the hard way!" Weiss' father yelled, and grabbed Weiss by the hair, making her cry out in pain. Before he could even lift his foot to move towards the door, he felt a massive blade shoved against his neck. A scythe's blade.

"You dare…" he began, but stopped when he felt the pressure on his neck increase in response to his threat.

"Yes, I dare." Ruby said simply. Her eyes were wide, but not in fear for what she was doing. In fact, Yang had never seen her like this before. It was as if her expression was devoid of any discernible emotion, or perhaps it was a combination of a great many. It didn't change the fact that she had a blade to the neck of one of the wealthiest and most powerful men on the planet.

"Ruby, no! I'm not worth it, don't…" Weiss said, her eyes welling up from both the pain of her father's grip on her scalp, and fear of what might become of Ruby if she followed through with her scythe.

"Weiss," Ruby said, slowly and calmly, "what you are worth to me is not up for you to decide." Weiss stared at her, and understood that Ruby wasn't lying all those times she had told her that she would do _anything_ for her. She looked back to her father, and saw a small trickle of blood carving a path down his neck.

"I'm only going to say this once. Let. Her. Go."

Weiss' father did not move. It was as if time had slowed. What felt like minutes was really only seconds. Yang could hear her heart pounding in her chest. Finally, Weiss was released and fell to the floor, where Blake immediately helped her up and away from her father. Ruby moved her scythe away and collapsed it.

"Get out." Ruby commanded, not moving her finger off the trigger. Weiss' father stared at her for a long while, and then slowly moved towards the door. Before leaving the house completely, he turned and stared at Weiss.

"You're disowned. You are my heir no longer." he said, and slammed the door behind him.

Yang moved over to the window to make sure he was leaving. Seeing him get into a car, she watched until he turned a corner and disappeared.

"He's gone." she announced, and sat in an armchair across from the couch, where Blake and Ruby were comforting Weiss. She looked like a mess, shaking from tears, rage, and what Yang guessed was shock.

"Hey, don't worry, it's over." Ruby said, reaching an arm around Weiss' shoulders and placing her other on her leg. "Come here." she pulled her into a hug, letting them rest on each other's shoulders. They stayed like that for a while, letting Ruby work her magic on Weiss and getting her to calm down.

"Whew, glad that's over." Yang said, breaking the silence. "Of course the selfish bastard would disown you."

Weiss looked up at her. "He didn't take anything I value away from me. All he succeeded in doing was giving me you guys."

"Aaawwww! Come here you!" Yang mewled, hugging Weiss. Ruby joined in, gleefully exclaiming "Group hug!"

Yang looked expectantly over at Blake, who had an eyebrow raised. Making eye contact, Blake just rolled her eyes at Yang and huffed. It wasn't until Weiss herself smiled over at Blake and beckoned that Blake finally shrugged and joined in.

The four girls embraced, and Weiss' muffled voice came from somewhere in the middle.

"I love you guys."

* * *

Closing A/N: Weiss is so gay. Yes, I did laugh quite a bit at my own joke of Yang being a gutter slut.

I know the first 1/3rd or so is a little _eh_ writing-wise but I'm not gonna bother fixing it now. Oh look, I even managed to fit in some italics in the A/N.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

A/N: It should be noted that I wrote this before episode 15 came out, and it's eerie how well some of this lines up with what became canon with that episode. Specifically stuff surrounding Blake.

* * *

Blake sighed. It had been a week since Weiss' little debacle with her father, and it hadn't taken long for the media to catch wind. A depressingly large crowd of reporters had been camped outside team RWBY's house for days now. It made going anywhere near the house a nightmare, especially for Blake. The "scandal" news of the Schnee heiress living with a faunus was sure to plague tabloids for weeks to come. For Blake, who had always preferred to avoid spotlights, the extra attention was particularly nauseating.

Preparing for what was to come after using the entire walk back from class to steel herself, she turned onto the street their house was on. Immediately, at least a dozen reporters surrounded her.

"Ms. Belladonna, how do you respond to the actions of the fauna-led group the White Fang?"

"Do you think fauna are truly oppressed?"

"Is it true that you are a faunus agent sent to kept tabs on the Schnee heiress?"

_Ignore them,_ Blake thought. _Only two hundred feet to the house._

"Are the rumors of you being Weiss Schnee's secret fauna lover true?"

"Are the fauna planning a full-scale rebellion?"

_100 feet. Don't run, they'll think you're scared._

"Why do you think the Schnee heiress felt it necessary to hide her sexuality?"

_50 feet, almost there._

"Ms. Belladonna, do you cough up hairballs?"

"Is it true that fauna have naturally higher libido than humans?"

Blake rushed in the door and slammed it behind her. She could still hear muffled voices through the hardwood, but the worst of it had passed.

"Have fun running the gauntlet?" Yang asked, lounging on the couch with a magazine.

"I swear their questions get dumber every time they see me." Blake said, moving Yang's legs to make room on the couch to sit. Yang promptly put them back in Blake's lap. "_Is it true that fauna have naturally higher libido than humans?_ What does that have to do with what's going on?"

Yang looked at her over the top of her magazine. "Well?"

"Well what?"

"Do they?"

Blake glared at her.

"That's not a no!" Yang exclaimed teasingly.

"Be serious, Yang. We have enough trouble right now without you trying to get in my pants every chance you get."

"No fun." Yang pouted, going back to her magazine. "You should see some of the news they've managed to put out on this already. Apparently you've been naughty. Just look."

Yang handed Blake her magazine, and right on the cover in big red characters, was:

**SCHANDAL! HEIRESS TO WORLD'S LARGEST COMPANY DISOWNED!**

Turning the cover, Blake began to read:

_Weiss Schnee, daughter of Gelb Schnee, president of Schnee Corp., was abruptly cast out of the family earlier this week. The true reasons behind the motive have yet to come to light, but our experts theorize that it may have something to do with the spotty reports of young Ms. Schnee fraternizing with a faunus girl that she attends Beacon academy with. This move has sparked heated debate, some saying that any heiress of caliber would never have attended the prestigious hunter academy in the first place. Others take the side of Ms. Schnee, arguing that young love should not be interfered with._

That was enough for Blake. She whipped the magazine shut angrily. If she had her way, everyone would just respect that Weiss didn't need all this extra attention being brought to her personal affairs, and everyone should just leave her alone. Especially when they claimed that she _was_ Weiss' personal affair. Unfortunately, she knew that it was an impossible wish.

"How is Weiss handling this, anyway?" Blake asked, "She seemed surprisingly okay right after it happened, but I've barely seen her since."

"Not well." Yang said, "Ruby told me she's cried herself to sleep most nights. I think she's gotten over the shock, but the reality of it all is really starting to hit her. Like she said herself, we're literally all she has now."

Blake frowned. She knew what it was like to have nothing, but Weiss had always lived in the lap of luxury. Weiss was a tough girl, but she had never had to fight for scraps, like everyone else on her team had to do at some point in their lives. It was a lifestyle than one could really only adjust to if they had never known anything else. Blake wasn't sure if she was proud of her for giving it all up, almost _enthusiastically_, or if she thought Weiss was letting her pride cloud her better judgment. She wasn't sure if either was a particularly good option.

"Can't we at least get rid of all these reporters? Their babbling can't be helping." Blake asked, more out of annoyance than expecting an answer.

"Tried." Yang said, "Ruby went to Ozpin to see if he could kick them off the school grounds, but the street outside is apparently public property, so if they stay there he can't do anything." Yang smirked, and continued: "_But_, he also said that if they start getting '_invasive_,' we can reply with any force we '_deem appropriate_.' I'm really hoping one of them is dumb enough to try."

"Let's hope not. They don't need anything else they can twist into some slanderous story."

Yang pouted again. "You really are no fun."

"We can't all be dumb and pretty like you." Blake retorted, smiling.

Before Yang could pounce on that reply, the commotion outside grew tenfold. "Guess they're back from class. Come on." Yang said, getting up and heading for the door.

Blake followed, pushing through the crowd of reporters encircling the new arrivals. Weiss was quite a sight. Her expression was completely impassive, no doubt a sign of her training to not let her face betray her emotions. Ruby, Blake, and Yang got into their practiced formation around her, blocking anyone who tried to get too close. Slowly, they carved a path through the crowd and back into their house, ignoring the numerous inane questions being shouted above the din.

"Idiots!" Ruby exclaimed angrily. "They're not going to quit, are they?"

"Give it a little time." Weiss said, "They'll get bored and leave eventually."

"Time? Weiss, it's been nearly a _week_! I want all this to just be over!" Ruby said, her voice on the edge of cracking.

Blake had noticed that Ruby had been taking this whole ordeal pretty hard. She knew that it broke her up inside to see Weiss in such a state. Weiss wasn't acting either warmly or coldly to her friends, it was something… else. Like she had just checked out emotionally. As if she was just a shell of a person. Maybe it was something so emotionally complex that Blake couldn't really find the words to explain it. Either way, it was like Ruby didn't have her girlfriend anymore. Blake knew that Weiss would be back to her relatively normal self in time, maybe a bit quicker if she was able to get away from all this for a little while. Until then, however, the hugs she gave Ruby would be empty, the kisses chaste. And Ruby would have to endure the spike it drove through her heart every time she tried.

Yang looked like she was thinking along similar lines. It must have been a great deal harder for her; Ruby was her sister, after all. Yang had done a very good job at mustering up her usual chipper personality for Ruby's sake, at the very least.

"Hey, so…" Yang began, breaking the silence left by Weiss' lack of an answer, "Vytal Festival is coming back this weekend. I think it would be good for all of us to get a little R&R, don't you think? We can even use all those moves we've been practicing in the combat tournament!"

"Sounds great!" Blake said, sounding uncharacteristically enthusiastic. "We can all go out and pick outfits tomorrow! I know how you love your clothes, Weiss."

Weiss offered her a small smile. It was all Blake needed to know that it would all get better, in time.

* * *

A/N: I know, it's short and doesn't progress the plot all that much. The intended purpose of this chapter was to set up a long chapter 4. Keep an eye out.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

A/N: Okay, some things I want to mention here.

First, this chapter is LONG. Excluding the A/Ns, this is 5890 words. At 25 pages double spaced in 12pt font, this single chapter is TRIPLE the length of what was previously the longest thing I've ever written in my life. That's... strange to me.

Second, and this is for the more finicky readers out there, due to the sheer length, there are a lot of repeated structures, word usage and grammar conventions. At least, there's enough to bug me. I'm about as far as you can get from a professional author, and honestly I just ran out of ideas on how to make each sentence/paragraph/dialogue unique after a while.

Anyway, you guys should know the deal by now. It's primarily White Rose fluff, but since it's so long it kind of borders on being a generally team RWBY-centric fic. That still doesn't stop it from mostly being about Ruby and Weiss, even if it's not always in a strictly romantic fashion.

* * *

The sun shined as a cool ocean breeze wafted overhead. As team RWBY walked through the docks district, a shiver ran down Blake's spine. Her argument with Weiss, running out on her team, and worst of all, that idiot monkey boy. She had been such a fool. But that was in the past, and time had served well to heal those wounds.

The Vytal Festival had returned to Vale for the second year in a row. It officially began tomorrow, but the enormous amount of effort it took to set up made the grounds as busy as ever. Workers and volunteers ran by left and right, directed by harried-looking event organizers. Blake swore she saw a blur resembling Professor Oobleck flying around a war history exhibit. One of the most popular attractions of the festival was a dramatic reenactment of the first Grimm War, showing humanity's rise from the brink of oblivion. From the few times she had seen it before; Blake guessed that the involvement of the fauna as humanity's allies would be conspicuously absent yet again.

She wasn't here to get worked up about historical inaccuracies, however. Ruby, Yang, and herself had all agreed that getting out and about would help Weiss relieve a little stress, and it seemed to be working. Weiss seemed genuinely excited about the festival, since their experience with it last year had been marred by Blake's little crisis of faith, a point they were all content to leave unmentioned. Weiss "ooh"-d and "aah"-d at many of the already-assembled exhibits, happy to regale her knowledge on the varied subjects. Some of the things she pointed out were actually quite interesting. Nevertheless, Ruby adamantly stayed right at Weiss' side, convinced that she might break down at any moment.

"I think she picked that up from you." Blake whispered in Yang's ear, hanging back so the other two wouldn't hear.

"What d'you mean?" Yang whispered back, confused.

"That determined sense of loyalty to people she cares about."

"You mean Ruby? I kinda wish she hadn't."

Now it was Blake's turn to be confused. "Why not?"

"Just look at her. She's like a little puppy." Yang whispered, halfheartedly gesturing towards the couple in front of them. She sounded irritated, rather than affectionate like she usually was when likening her little sister to an animal.

Blake watched. Every step Weiss took, Ruby immediately followed. Any space between them didn't last for more than a second. Ruby _was_ like a puppy, following her owner everywhere and not giving them any space to themselves. Seeing this in action now make Blake think; when _was_ the last time she had seen Ruby not right at Weiss' side? It must've been at least a week ago if she couldn't think of any instance off the top of her head.

_Of course_, she thought, _she hasn't left her alone since her father was here_.

She turned to Yang to discuss this revelation, but she wasn't there. Looking forward, she saw a mass of yellow hair inbetween Ruby and Weiss. She ran to join the rest of her team.

"…hope you don't mind me stealing her away for a while, Weiss." Yang was saying as Blake caught up with them. "Official sister business, and all. You know how it goes."

Weiss looked slightly taken aback by Yang's request, but nodded silently after a short pause.

"But Yang, I…" Ruby began.

"Don't you worry about your little Weissy! I'm sure Blake will take good care of her while we're gone."

And with that, Yang grabbed Ruby by the hood and dragged her away and into the crowd. Before she disappeared completely, Ruby made eye contact with Blake. Beyond the beginnings of tears, Blake made out an unmistakable look.

A look of betrayal. And it was definitely aimed at her.

* * *

An hour had passed since Yang and Ruby's disappearance. Weiss and Blake found themselves in the market district, wandering into many of the small storefronts. They never lingered long, Weiss didn't seem terribly interested in any of the knick-knacks the shops had on display. A small bookstore on a corner nagged at Blake, but she reminded herself that she was here to give Weiss some company. Giving in to her own desires would be counterproductive on that point.

Blake couldn't help but feel a little awkward. Of the three other people on her team, she spent the least amount of time with Weiss. Outside of the weekly "mandatory team fun days" Ruby had implemented, the two of them barely interacted with eachother. It was extremely rare for only the two of them to hang out together. It would be inaccurate to say that they weren't friends, but their relationship was based more on convenience rather than anything that traditionally made people chummy.

"I wonder where those two got off to." Weiss said absentmindedly, as they entered a small candy store. It was the first time either of them had spoken since being left by themselves.

"Oh, I'm sure Yang just saw something irresistible that she just had to drag Ruby along to see." Blake said, aloof. She actually had a pretty good guess why Yang did what she did, but there was no way was she going to tell Weiss what that guess was.

"Hmm." Weiss grunted, noncommittally. "I thought the only thing Yang thought was irresistible was you."

That caught Blake way off guard. She laughed nervously, unable to think of an adequate response to something like that. Thankfully, Weiss apparently hadn't been expecting a reply, and simply continued to peruse through the varied sweets on display.

"Blake," Weiss said, suddenly staring at her after a long moment of silence, "as my teammate, do you think Ruby and I… are really… you know, _right_ for eachother?" Weiss mumbled the last part, looking down at the floor in shame.

Blake put a hand on Weiss' shoulder, and she looked back up at her. "Of course you are." Blake did her best to sound reassuring, but Weiss looked unconvinced so she continued. "You're just going through a hard time right now, and Ruby's trying her best to be there for you. Don't let what your father said about her get to you. I've never seen people that care for eachother as much as you two."

Weiss stayed silent, turning away to scratch her nose as she sniffed back tears. After a few moments, she spoke again, her voice steady and unmarred by the sobs Blake was expecting.

"Thanks, Blake. It seems like you always have our backs."

"I'd be a pretty crappy teammate if I didn't."

Weiss frowned at her. "You're allowed to call yourself my friend, you know. Enough of this 'teammate' nonsense."

Blake smiled. "Alright then, _friend_." After nearly two years of only addressing eachother by name or simply "teammate" (and during tense times, "faunus" and "brat"), the word felt alien on her lips. In fact, she couldn't remember a time when she had referred to anyone on the team as friend, other than in her own head. Surely Yang once or twice given their intimacy, but she assumed that it had always been implied that they were all friends. Was she really that distant to everyone else?

Weiss smiled, bringing her back to reality. "Now then, do you think Ruby likes black licorice?"

Blake gave her an incredulous look. "Weiss, I don't think _anyone_ likes black licorice."

Weiss gave a hearty chuckle, filling a bag with a little of everything, but skipping over the black licorice at Blake's suggestion.

Catching Blake raising an eyebrow at her, she quickly defended herself. "It's for Ruby, of course. I wouldn't be caught dead poisoning my body in such a way." Blake only laughed.

A warm, comforting feeling came over her; she wasn't simply here to watch over her distraught teammate anymore. They were just a couple of friends having fun out on the town.

And she was happy with that.

* * *

"Yang, what are you doing? Let go! I need to get back to Weiss! YANG!"

"You're not going anywhere until you hear me out!"

"Let go! Weiss could be…"

"She could be what!? She'll live without you for five minutes!"

"Yang…?"

_Dammit, Ruby. Do not start crying on me._

Yang stopped when she had dragged Ruby a few blocks away from where they had started. She sighed.

"If I let go, do you promise to stay here and listen to me?" She tried her best to make her voice sound soft. This wasn't going to work if Ruby was afraid of her.

"Tell me what this is all about first." Ruby said challengingly, staring her big sister right in the eyes.

Yang laughed, she couldn't help it. "That look might scare a pack of beowolves, but you've got a long way to go before you can even think about kicking my ass, little sis."

Ruby grunted angrily, folding her arms and turning away.

_Dammit Yang, this isn't the time to show off. Get your head in the game!_

Yang let go of Ruby's hood, letting her arm swing gently back to her side. Ruby turned her head just enough to see her sister out of the corner of her eye.

"It's about you and Weiss."

"What about us?" Ruby shot back. Despite her anger, a sinking feeling in her stomach started to overwhelm her. The only times Yang wanted to have a serious talk about her personal life was when she thought Ruby had really screwed something up and needed help. Usually it was painful advice that she didn't want to hear, but Yang would never lead her astray. She wanted to see Ruby lead a happy life as much as she wanted to have one of her own.

"Why don't we sit down first?" Yang suggested, indicating a nearby bench. Ruby didn't budge. "Come on, sis. Please?" She sat herself down, patting the spot next to her. She could have commanded Ruby to join her, but resorting to force might as well be forfeiting any chance of Ruby listening to her.

Ruby stood stock still for a few agonizing seconds. Yang was giving her the perfect opportunity to run away. Running would mean she prioritized Weiss over Yang; that she loved her girlfriend more than her own sister. Did she honestly believe that? Could something like that even be measured? Yang loved her more than anything, she knew that much. That was enough for her.

She sat down next to Yang.

"Thanks." Yang said softly, reaching an arm around Ruby's shoulders. Ruby glared at a patch of ground some twenty feet away. She still wasn't happy about being torn away from Weiss, but she didn't shrug Yang off either.

"Okay, look. I know you care about Weiss. Like, a lot. I can see it in the way you look at her. It's that I-want-to-get-old-and-wrinkly-with-you kind of look. I kinda want to see that now, actually…."

"Yang, is this going anywhere?" Ruby announced in the opposite direction of her sister.

"Fine, straight to the point then." Yang took a deep breath to gather herself. "Ruby, you're clingy. You're not giving Weiss any space of her own. I know you like being around her and all that, but people need time to themselves sometimes. Especially with all the crap she's dealing with right now, it doesn't help that you're always on her heels. Sometimes people have stuff that they just gotta figure out how to deal with on their own."

"But Yang, haven't you seen her lately? She needs help!" Ruby whined, finally turning to face her sister. "I can't just watch her be miserable like this!"

"Ruby, Weiss is a strong girl. She can handle stuff on her own, and when she needs it, she'll ask for your help. It doesn't help when you treat her like a wounded animal that could collapse any second. It's probably driving her crazy, you know how she hates being coddled."

"I'm not going to stop trying to help her just because it gets in the way of her ego!"

"You're missing the point, sis. There are a lot of ways to help people. Sometimes being there for someone means, well, not being there. Giving them a little time off, y'know? So she can be herself without having to think about what's going on."

"But…"

"Look, bottom line is that I want to see you two be happy together. I really, really do. But you gotta give her time, and get some time to yourself too. Don't get so absorbed in her life that you forget that you have one of your own. Can you do that for me?"

"I…" Ruby looked down at her lap, trying to process everything that Yang had been saying. She knew in her gut that Yang was right, but it didn't help dull the pain.

"I'll try." Ruby mumbled after a long moment of silence. "I thought dating was all about spending time with the other person 'cause you care, and wanna see them happy, and it hurts when they're sad, and, and, you wanna be there for them and, oh, I don't know. That if you could just do that then everything would be fine." she rambled in that endearing way that Yang thought was just too adorable.

"Hey, don't worry about it." Yang said, pulling her in to a side-hug as Ruby leaned her head on her shoulder. "We all think we've got it all figured out, 'til we realize that we don't."

"I guess." Ruby muttered.

_Oh, Ruby. You have so much to learn._

"Hey, wanna go get ice cream? It's been too long since the two of us have hung out together, and you could use a little fun. I'll buy!" Yang said, rubbing Ruby's shoulder.

"Okay." Ruby mumbled. "But only if I can get a dozen scoops of cookies and cream."

"Yeesh, should I go pick up a depressing romance movie while we're at it?"

Ruby growled at her.

"Okay, too soon."

Ruby got up and began walking to where she knew the nearest ice cream shop was. She knew the locations of all of them like the back of her hand.

"What else do you wanna do while we're out here?" Yang asked, jogging to catch up.

"I dunno, you have something in mind?"

"Hmm. Oh! We could go shopping for school supplies! And try on clothes! And talk about cute girls!"

"Yang, SHUT UP!"

The two sisters walked side-by-side down the boulevard; one determined to look grumpy as the other cracked jokes at her the entire way.

A few smiles broke through, and soon both sisters were back to their cheery selves.

* * *

The next day dawned with spring in full bloom. Ruby awoke to the smell of fresh flowers that grew outside her bedroom window, a lazy breeze wafting the scent over the room. She took a deep sniff to breathe in that lovely spring air and…

_ACHOO!_

She jerked upwards from the force of her sneeze, steadying herself in a sitting position. Great, allergies, just what she needed on the day of the combat tournament.

A soft hand rubbing her back caught her attention. She looked over her shoulder at its owner.

"Good morning." Weiss said sleepily. She was still lying on her back, ivory hair spread out around her face, a small smile gracing her lips. It was a sight Ruby would never tire of seeing. She was always beautiful, but there was a certain added charm about Weiss in vulnerable moments like these; when she was just a person, not the carefully-constructed image she took into public.

"Hey," Ruby said softly, brushing a stray strand of hair off of Weiss' face, "sleep well? You didn't cry at all last night."

"Better than ever." Weiss said, closing her eyes and smiling contentedly. "You okay? That was a pretty bad sneeze just now."

"Don't worry about me, I'm f… I'm…."

_ACHOO!_

She jerked forward again, recoiling back down onto the bed. Weiss turned to look at her.

"Go get some medicine. I want you at one hundred percent for today."

"Yes, ma'am." Ruby groaned, rolling out of bed. "You, um, can keep things handled up here?"

Weiss looked thoroughly confused. "Uh, yes? Why, is something wrong?"

"No!" Ruby said quickly. "I just thought you could, um, use a little time to yourself."

"Oh-kay?" Weiss said uncertainly. "What brought this on?"

Ruby had a pained expression, which only heightened Weiss' confusion. Ruby knelt on the floor next to Weiss, caressing her hand in both of her own. She started mumbling something under her breath.

"What? Ruby, I can't hear you." Weiss said, concerned.

"I'm sorry!" Ruby blurted out. "I've been being stupid, and Yang told me I was being stupid, and I don't wanna mess things up with you, and…."

"Woah there, slow down." Weiss said harshly, turning on her side to get a better look at Ruby's face. "Start from the beginning and go slowly this time."

Ruby sniffed, focusing her gaze on Weiss' hand she was holding rather than her face. "When Yang took me away yesterday, she told me a lot of stuff. She said I wasn't giving you enough space of your own, and that it was annoying you, and that I should back off a little bit. Was I really that bad?"

Understanding dawned on Weiss. So _this_ was why Ruby had barely spoken to her after they got home yesterday.

Weiss took Ruby's chin and gently tilted her up to look at her. "It's okay, Ruby. Well, it was a little annoying, but as long as you're learning." Ruby beamed at her. "You know you can always talk to me about this kind of stuff, right? You don't have to get all your advice from Yang." Ruby nodded solemnly. "Good." Weiss leaned in and gave her a small kiss. "Now go get that medicine while I get dressed."

"See you downstairs." Ruby said, smiling and stealing one more kiss before standing up. She slumped her way downstairs and into the kitchen, where Blake was already sitting at the small table reading one of her books.

"Mornin'." Ruby grunted, yawning and reaching for the nearest box of sugary cereal.

"Good morning. Was that you sneezing up there?"

Ruby huffed, sitting down and slumping her chin onto her hand. "Yeah. Weiss told me to get something for it."

"Well, there's some meds in the cabinet over there."

"But that stuff is so _gross!_" Ruby whined.

Blake sighed. "Oh, Ruby…."

"Wuzzgoinon?" Yang grumbled, stumbling into the room, clearly still half-asleep.

"Ruby's sick and doesn't want to take medicine, against Weiss' wishes." Blake explained.

"Mmm. I know what to do." Yang said, stumbling her way over to the medicine cabinet and pouring some of the vile-smelling liquid into a small cup. "Hold her arms down, hun."

Ruby immediately had her arms pinned behind her chair, unable to move.

"What!? Blake, you traitor! No!" Ruby yelled as Yang closed in on her. She moved the cup up to her lips, but Ruby had them sealed tight.

"Come on sis, don't make me do this the hard way."

Ruby shook her head wildly, scrunching her face at the foul smell making its way through her clogged nostrils.

"It's war, then." Yang said. Ruby felt light fingertips on her sides. _Oh god no, not tickling! Yang, you fiend!_

Ruby couldn't resist for long, soon her mouth opened in laughter and Yang immediately tipped the cup over her lips and forced her mouth closed with her hand. She manually tilted Ruby's head upwards until she saw her swallow.

"See, that wasn't so bad!" Yang said, letting her go and motioning to Blake to do the same.

"Bleghh!" Ruby groaned, retching.

"Oh, quit being a baby. Eat some cereal; it'll help wash away the taste."

It was a while before Weiss joined them in the kitchen. Wrapping her arms around Ruby's shoulders from behind, she kissed the top of her girlfriend's head.

"Sounds like someone put up a fight back there." Weiss said, resting her chin on the spot she just kissed.

"Not a very good one." Blake muttered. Ruby shot her an icy glare.

"Two on one is hardly a fair fight!" Ruby whined. Weiss noticed that her voice sounded much less nasally than when she had first woken up. She would have to remember to thank Blake and Yang later for taking it upon themselves to see her request through. Ruby could be very stubborn when she wanted to, especially when it involved things that tasted bad. Weiss thought it was actually kind of endearing, maybe she had rubbed off on her a bit.

The rest of the morning went off without a hitch. There was much excited talk about the tournament, which they were all competing in. They elected to compete in the doubles division, with Yang immediately claiming Blake as her partner. Ruby didn't argue, it was only natural that she should be paired with Weiss. They agreed that if they faced eachother, no one would hold back and no hurt feelings were allowed to whoever lost.

Noon rolled around, signaling that it was time to leave for the fairgrounds to prepare. Weiss, Blake, and Yang were all ready to leave, but Ruby hung back.

"Hey Blake, can you stay here for a minute?" Ruby asked. Blake looked a little surprised, but waved the other two off and stayed inside.

"We'll catch up in a bit!" Ruby called after them, turning to face her teammate.

"What's up?" Blake asked, concerned.

"This." Ruby said, holding up a magazine. Blake looked confused, but then she recognized it. It was the magazine Yang had showed her a couple days ago, with the article about how she was supposedly Weiss' secret faunus lover.

"Ah. Don't tell me you believe that garbage, Ruby."

"I don't, but I need to hear it from you." Ruby said seriously.

"Ruby, I assure you that Weiss and I are not dating behind you and your sister's backs. I wouldn't do that to any of you, I'm not that kind of person." Ruby didn't look fully satisfied with that answer. "If you haven't guessed, Weiss isn't really my type." Blake said, doing her best to sound reassuring.

"Not your type? Why, what's wrong with her?" Ruby said, suddenly sounding worried.

"Well, no offense to her, but I prefer my women a little more _endowed_, if you know what I mean."

"Endowed? What do you m…" Ruby gasped. "Blake! Ew! That's gross, I don't wanna think about Yang like… Blake, EW!"

Blake laughed, reaching out and ruffling Ruby's hair before turning to leave.

"Hey! Only Yang's allowed to do that!"

Blake turned back around, glaring at Ruby. "What are you gonna do about it?" she said, low and deadly. She made sure to twitch her bow for added effect.

"Nothing, Blake! I mean, sir! I mean, ma'am!" Ruby yelped, frozen to the spot.

Blake burst out laughing. "Come on, Little Wolf. Let's get going."

"Little Wolf? What's that supposed to mean?" Ruby said indignantly.

"It means that one day you'll grow up and be strong and fierce. But for now, all you are is cute as a button."

"Um… thanks, I think?"

"Anytime."

* * *

The fairgrounds were absolutely packed. People came from all over the world just for this festival, after all. But Ruby wasn't here to listen to people with funny accents, she was here to fight. That didn't stop her from ogling other combatants' weapons, which lead to a lot of Weiss needing to snap her back into focus.

Everyone there seemed surprised to see such a young girl competing, but it was all to Ruby's advantage. They would underestimate her and fall before her and Weiss' might. Or at least, that's how she pictured it in her head. No matter what could happen, Ruby just wanted to get some real combat experience against worthy opponents. With Weiss at her side, who knows, maybe they could win it all.

The first round matchups were posted. Ruby quickly scanned the extensive bracket, searching for her place. She found her name somewhere near the bottom, but didn't recognize the opponent's names. More foreigners, she guessed. She regrouped with the rest of her team, waiting for the first match to begin.

First round matchups went by fairly quickly. It was always common for the weaker pairings to be weeded out in the early rounds, and the opposition was merciless. Huntsman and Huntresses with years of experience would cleave their way through young fighters, often winning in less than a minute. Nobody died, of course, since the rules dictated that the first team to have their auras depleted lost. Even the most inexperienced fighters were mostly protected from severe injury by their aura, but on occasion a medical team would still have to cart them off.

Blake and Yang were scheduled to fight before Ruby and Weiss. They were paired against a couple of boys that Ruby thought she recognized from her time at Signal, and Blake and Yang completely trounced them. Yang had barely moved by the time Blake had flashed behind their opponents and cut them down. Ruby could be glad that those two were on her side, at least.

She was surprised to see Jaune and Pyrrha take the stage next. Pyrrha was famous for her achievements in competition, but those were all in single combat. Ruby wasn't sure if picking Jaune as a partner was a particularly wise choice. Watching them fight, Ruby could tell he was still inept as ever, going down midway through. Pyrrha had to carry the fight from there but eventually won. She carried him all the way off the stage, too.

Finally, Ruby and Weiss got the call. Blake and Yang wished them luck as they walked towards the stage.

"Alright Weiss, this is it. Just remember…"

"Remember that you're a dunce in combat?" Weiss interrupted.

"Remember that I'm _your_ dunce." Ruby retorted.

"How could I forget?" Weiss said, smiling just a little.

They took the stage. Their opponents weren't there. Ruby deployed Crescent Rose in anticipation. A minute passed, and it started to get awkward. The referee announced to the crowd that whoever they were fighting had thirty seconds to make it on stage. No one did.

"Ruby Rose and Weiss Schnee win by forfeight!" said the referee into his megaphone.

"Hooray?" Ruby said, walking off the stage with Weiss.

"Hmph." Weiss grunted.

"Great fighting up there, sis!" Yang called out as they approached. "Really knocked our socks off!"

"Yeah, yeah. Just you wait."

She sat back down, disappointedly leaning her head onto Weiss shoulder to watch the rest of the first round. Ren and Nora made an appearance later on, which she knew would be the cause of some excitement. However, she did not expect that excitement to come in the form of them being disqualified after Nora almost leveled the stage and hospitalized half a dozen front-row spectators.

The second round finally came around. The updated bracket came up on the huge screen overlooking the stage. Ruby scanned it, and saw they were scheduled for the first fight, against… Blake and Yang!?

"What!?" Ruby yelped. She looked over at the other half of her team. Yang had a huge grin, and even Blake cracked a smile.

"See you up there, sis!" Yang exclaimed, clapping Ruby on the back and standing up. She looked over to Weiss, trembling.

"Well, let's get this over with." Ruby said, slowly getting up and dragging her feet all the way to the stage.

"Ruby, focus." Weiss commanded. "We can take them, but you have to _focus_."

"Kiss for luck?" Ruby asked sarcastically. She blushed when Weiss unexpectedly pecked her on the cheek. "Okay, now I like our chances a lot better."

They walked onto the stage, opposing their two team members. A countdown timer started on the big screen overhead.

**10**

"Go for Blake first and keep your distance from Yang." Weiss whispered in her ear.

"R-right."

**7**

"You've got this, Ruby. You might be a dunce but you know how to fight."

**4**

Ruby deployed Crescent Rose and took a deep breath. She saw Weiss draw Myrtenaster beside her. Blake and Yang dropped into their combat poses.

**3**

**2**

**1**

**FIGHT!**

Blake zigzagged forward, flashing in and out of sight as Yang blasted her way straight at Weiss. Weiss summoned a glyph at her feet, zooming out of the way of Yang's charge. Ruby focused on Blake's multiple forms dashing towards her. She recognized that pattern; Blake had used it in the first fight! She prepared Crescent Rose, waiting for just the right moment… NOW!

Ruby fired, pirouetting on the spot as she swung her scythe behind her. A split second of resistance told her that she had connected with Blake, who had appeared behind her at just the right moment. She was sent flying off to the side from the force, and Ruby heard a loud cheer from the astounded crowd.

"Blakey! You're paying for that, sis!" Yang shouted above the din. She charged right at her sister, drawing back her fist, preparing to send her dear sister flying into the next town over. Ruby braced, she didn't have time to dodge.

A glyph appeared inches in front of her, and Ruby watched Yang slam her fist into the impenetrable barrier it had created. Ruby took the opportunity to stick out her tongue before vanishing in a flash of rose petals.

Blake was back on her feet, but clearly still dazed. Weiss dashed towards her, rapier in front. Blake parried, but couldn't react quickly enough to the second strike that immediately followed. She stayed standing, still attempting to fight of Weiss' barrage of slashes and stabs. She could only keep up with so many, and looked ready to collapse when Yang rushed to her defence. Weiss withdrew; being close to Yang was an impossible battle.

She regrouped with Ruby at the edge of the stage. Yang didn't follow; she had to stay at Blake's side lest they rushed her again.

"Distract Yang and cover me!" Weiss commanded, jumping into the air with a glyph. She leapt from glyph to glyph, working her way towards Blake as Yang fired at her. Ruby blasted her way around the stage, feigning attacks on Yang to break her concentration whenever her shots started getting too close to Weiss.

Weiss finally got close to Blake, crouching on a glyph in the air, ready to spring. Ruby feigned another charge at Yang as Weiss pushed off, flying straight at Blake, but Yang didn't buy it. Ruby saw what was going to happen a split second before it did.

Yang's fist connected directly with Weiss' jaw, propelling her in the complete opposite direction. Weiss landed and crumpled at least thirty feet away from Yang.

"No!" Ruby shouted, firing and charging straight at Yang as Blake began to get back on her feet. Yang was too busy admiring how far Weiss had gone to react, and Ruby flew right past her and into Blake. The force of the collision was all it took for the scoreboard to read that Blake's aura was too low to continue.

Yang screamed in anger. "Sis, you bitch!"

"Uh oh." Ruby muttered. Yang's eyes were turning red. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Weiss standing up. She flashed over to her side as Yang charged at her, managing to grab Weiss' arm and pull her out of the way.

"Help me!" Ruby squealed, letting Weiss down at the opposite end of the stage that Yang was on.

Weiss gathered herself, seeing the incoming freight train that was Yang, and spun on the spot, pointing Myrtenaster at Yang. Small beams of light caught Yang at the wrists and ankles, immobilizing her in a spread-eagle. Weiss immediately dashed towards her, intent on ending the fight here.

Yang's aura erupted in a flash of fire, and her bonds shattered as Weiss was closing in. Yang punched straight into her chest, and Weiss flew backwards, landing at Ruby's feet. She was out cold, and out of the fight.

Ruby didn't have time to tend to her girlfriend, Yang's fury was unrelenting. She raised Crescent Rose above her head as Yang rampaged towards her. She hoped this would work.

Yang was only ten feet away, and Ruby fired, slamming Crescent Rose's blunt side down on top of her sister. Yang was forced into the ground, and Ruby thought she had won.

Wait, Yang was crouched low to the ground, holding Crescent Rose's edge just above her head. In her rage, Yang had completely absorbed the entire impact with her arms. Ruby's eyes went wide as Yang slowly stood up, ripping the scythe out of Ruby's hands and tossing it to the side.

Ruby closed her eyes tight, unable to defend herself now and preparing to be launched to the other side of the planet.

No such blow came. Instead, Ruby found herself tackled to the ground. She opened her eyes to see Yang straddling her, keeping her pinned to the floor.

The match was called, Yang had won.

"Told ya you'll never kick my ass, sis." Yang said proudly.

"Yeah, yeah." Ruby muttered. Yang got off her, offering her hand to help her stand up. Ruby remembered what had happened to Weiss, and saw her still immobile on the ground.

"Weiss!" she shouted, running over to her side and dropping to her knees. "Weiss! Wake up!" she said desperately, shaking her.

Weiss' eyes fluttered open. "R-Ruby? Wha-What happened? Did we win?"

Ruby smiled, happy to see her girlfriend back among the living. She pulled her up into a tight hug. "No, we didn't."

Weiss scoffed. "You dunce."

"Hey, who went down first?"

Weiss scowled. Ruby just laughed and pulled her up to her feet, leaving the stage.

"Good match, you guys." They turned around and saw Blake being bridal carried by Yang. "Nice move at the beginning there, Ruby. Didn't think you would learn that so fast."

"You know me, I'm a quick learner." Ruby said, and caught Yang pointedly looking back and forth between her and Weiss. Ruby winked at her, and Yang smiled. "Good luck in the next round!"

"Oh, I don't know if I can continue after that. Besides, I'm feeling an overwhelming desire to ravage my hero." Blake said, giving Yang a saucy look. Yang's eyes went wide.

"Uh, see you guys later!" she said quickly, and ran off with Blake still in her arms.

"Gross." Ruby mumbled.

"_Sex isn't that gross."_ Weiss muttered under her breath.

"What? Did you say something?" Ruby asked, looking genuinely curious.

"Oh, nothing. Just a conversation for another time." Weiss said, sighing. Ruby put an arm around her shoulders.

"Feeling better?" Ruby asked, looking more concerned than Weiss thought was necessary.

"What? I'm standing, aren't I?"

"Not the fight. I mean, about, y'know, everything."

"Oh." Weiss said softly, looking at the ground. "Yes, I suppose I've spent long enough moping about, haven't I?"

"That's not what I asked. I'm asking if you're _okay_." Ruby said sternly.

Weiss looked up at her, a faint smile dancing across her lips. No one had ever asked her that question before.

She kissed her beloved girlfriend, long and soulfully.

"I'm okay."

* * *

Closing A/N: I actually have a good idea of where I want to go with this now. It'll probably make a lot of people happy. If you're the least bit perceptive, you can probably guess what I'm talking about.

Additionally, if you're going to leave a review, _please_ log in before you do. I like responding to my reviews, and there's no easy way to do that if you're a guest.


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